Policy Details

1. All medical students have the right to be excused from course and clinical work to attend their own health care appointments to the extent that they do not significantly decrease the student’s educational experience.
   
   
2. Faculty and staff will support this right without adverse effect on the student’s course performance evaluation and course grades. Students are strongly encouraged to promote and maintain their health and well-being.
   
   
3. Health care is available for all students through University Health Services (UHS) and private health insurance plans.
   
   
4. Absences for such appointments should typically be in the range of one to two hours. As access to this health care usually occurs between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
   
   
5. Students do not need to disclose the reason for the medical appointment nor their diagnosis, treatment plan, or any other piece of protected medical information.
   
   
6. Students are responsible for exercising professional judgment when scheduling appointments to minimize time away from educational duties and, whenever possible, avoid conflicting with examination schedules, surgical procedures, morning rounds, group presentations, or other important group teaching sessions.
7. 1. If part of a clinical team, students must notify their team regarding the dates and times they will be absent for their appointments.

Recurrent Health Care Appointments during a Rotation or Course

1. Course director approval: Students with recurrent health care appointments during a course or rotation are required to meet with their course director to discuss permitting the absences in a way that allows for a complete educational experience.
   
   
2. If, prior to the start of a course or rotation, a student knows of recurrent health care appointments that will occur during the course or rotation, they must meet with the course director prior to the start of the course or rotation.
   
   
3. If a student has recurrent health care appointments that arise after the start of a course or rotation, they must meet with the course director as soon as the student is aware of the appointments.
   
   
4. After meeting with the course director, the student is responsible for notifying the course coordinator of their absences.

Non-Recurrent Health Care Appointments during a Rotation or Course

1. SMPH faculty recognize that routine health care appointments may be difficult to schedule and urgently needed.
   
   
2. Faculty should give students a greater ability to be absent due to non-recurrent, non-emergency care, while preserving the student’s educational experience. Students are still required to submit absences forms for such care and, whenever possible, within the time limits for the course or Phase they will be absent from.

Students outside the Greater Madison Area

Students doing short-term rotations outside of Madison should make every effort to schedule their personal, non- emergency medical appointments while in residence in Madison. Students on longer assignments should work with local faculty and preceptors to ensure that time is allocated for personal health care needs. A list of statewide facilities and providers accepting the UW Student Health Insurance Plan can be found on the SHIP website. 

External References

LCME Element 12.4

Policy Administration

Approval Authority

Educational Policy and Curriculum Committee (EPCC) and Medical Student Promotion and Review Committee (SPARC)

Policy Manager

Associate Dean for Students

Policy Contact(s)

Policy History

Date last reviewed and approved: June 11, 2025

Next review: June 2026